The chief nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States held telephone talks on Thursday to discuss joint efforts for denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

Lee Do-hoon, the ministry's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, and Stephen Biegun, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, also shared their assessment of the situation on the peninsula since the second summit between the U.S. and North Korea in Hanoi in February.

This photo, taken on Feb. 9, 2019, shows Lee Do-hoon (L), the foreign ministry's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, shaking hands with Stephen Biegun, special representative for North Korea at the U.S. State Department, at the foreign ministry in Seoul.

Seoul has been pushing to resume dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang that has been stalled since the Hanoi summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended without a deal due to gaps over the scope of denuclearization and sanctions relief.

Biegun is likely to visit Seoul from May 8-10 to discuss the North's nuclear issue, according to diplomatic sources.

Speculation has surfaced that aside from the nuclear issue, the allies' nuclear negotiators may discuss humanitarian assistance, including food aid, to the impoverished state.(Yonhap)